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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Southwest Livingston, Ross Elementary, and Schaible Homeschool were the winners of the 2015 "Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter Free" trashcan-decorating contest. They were among 21 entries from Missouri elementary, middle, and home schools involving more than 240 students who helped fight litter by participating in the annual contest.
The Missouri Departments of Conservation (MDC) and Transportation (MoDOT) sponsor the contest as part of Missouri's "No MOre Trash!" campaign to raise awareness about litter and discourage littering. The contest encourages classes from kindergarten through eighth grade to join the fight against litter by decorating and displaying a large trash can with the "No MOre Trash!" logo and a litter prevention message using a variety of creative mediums.
The winning school from each of three competition categories (grades K-2, grades 3-5, and grades 6-8) receives a $200 award. First-place winners are then eligible for a $600 grand prize and a trophy. Entries are judged by a group of creative staff and No MOreTrash! staff at MDC and MoDOT.
Congratulations to Marj Locker's seventh grade art class at Southwest Livingston County R1 School in Ludlow who won the 6–8-Grade Category and the Grand Prize with their entry, "In Recycling We Trust."
The 14 students created a trash can featuring Ernie the Eagle made with real feathers, paper mache, acrylic paint, and construction paper. The front of the Ernie the Eagle has red, white and blue letters that say "In Recycling We Trust." The No More Trash! logo is on the back and tail feathers. The white feathers on the head are turkey feathers and the wings are made out of goose feathers from geese hunted in season by one of the students. The portal for trash is a flap in the back of the head that lifts.
Locker wrote in her entry, "It is a touchable trash can that attracts a lot of attention!"
Congratulations to Girl Scout Troop Organizer Kass Stolzberg's kindergarten and first grade Daisies and second-grade Brownies at Ross Elementary School in St. Louis who won the K-2-Grade Category for their entry, "Girl Scouts Make the World a Better Place with No MOre Trash!"
The 18 students converted an empty 50-gallon plastic drum donated by Speedy's Car Wash into a custom trash can for the students at Ross Elementary. The decorated trash can will be displayed on the school campus to raise awareness and will be placed in high traffic areas to reduce litter. A single theme, "Make the World a Better Place with No MOre Trash!" was presented as a school-wide Girl Scout opportunity and successfully united numerous Girl Scout troops.
"As part of the Girl Scout Law, we promise to do our best to make the world a better place, use resources wisely, and be a sister to every Girl Scout," wrote Stolzberg in her entry.
Congratulations to Jean Schaible's two fourth and fifth graders at Schaible Homeschool in Union who won the 3-5-Grade Category for their entry, "Littering Is For the Birds" featuring the Missouri State Bird the Eastern Bluebird.
The students highlighted the natural beauty of Missouri by depicting Eastern Bluebirds on their nest in a tree protecting their eggs. All items used were strictly thought of by the girls. The birds are made of balloons covered in orange and blue duct tape and blue foam craft paper. The eggs are egg carton cavities matched up and covered with blue duct tape. The nest was created using paper towel tubes, cut-up cardboard and paper grocery bags. Branches were cut out of cardboard with painted foil-shaped leaves attached. "Littering Is For the Birds" was made with yellow duct tape.
"The girls enjoyed working together and are very happy to be participating in this contest," Schaible wrote in her entry. "All work was completed by the girls with the exception of spray painting the can. The photos were taken at our public library."
See images and information on all entries online at nomoretrash.org/trash-can-contest.
Bash Trash in April!
All Missourians can help clean up litter through the annual No MOre Trash! April Trash Bash sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Transportation. The month-long event encourages schools, individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities to pick up litter, educate others about litter, conduct litter-free activities, and encourage friends and families to participate. For more information, visit nomoretrash.org/trash-bash.
